Today's Harvest

What is on your farm’s to-do list today? With a laundry list of tasks to be completed, food safety is likely just one critical priority among many for fruit and vegetable growers in the Northeast and across the United States. That priority list may change for some growers in the next few months, with the initial compliance dates having arrived for the first ever federal food safety regulation that will affect the growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fruits and vegetables.

Obtaining adequate, reliable and legal workers for farms has been a challenge for a long time. To help deal with this challenge domestically, the H-2A program was developed. However, there is also a conflicting desire to protect job opportunities for Americans, particularly during periods of high unemployment. To help producers navigate the maze of H-2A, Farm Credit East recently held a webinar on the H-2A visa program for agricultural workers.

Farm transition planning is a topic that every ag business owner/operator will have to face. How many principal operators are addressing this transition in a timely, proactive manner? Unfortunately, too many put it off till “someday”. Jon Jaffe, Farm Credit East Business Consultant, discusses five hurdles of planning a transition for an ag business.

For the past decade, there has been a lot of focus on the Millennials and how their generation differs from those that come before them. Now there is a new generation to focus on and learn about — Generation Z! Learn more about some of the key traits that differentiate this new generation.